Tag Archives: noodles

Throwing it all together for the finale. After the ramen broth, the noodles, and the pork are done, you’ve got most of the hard stuff out of the way. The broth is a bit bare as it is, so I’ve experimented by adding various ingredients to enhance the flavor – such as garlic, sardines, apples, shiitake, etc. My broth is ever evolving, each time a new flavor introduced. Ramen shops in Japan have a ramen broth and also a “tare”, which is a concentrated second broth that is combined in small amounts with the first broth right before serving. These “tare” recipes are always secret, as this is what makes every ramen shop’s signature dish unique. The beauty of ramen is that there are no rules. There’s no standard way to make the broth, there’s no standard noodle, pork, or toppings. It is such a stark contrast to Japanese culture where conformity and abiding by the rules are the norm. It’s truly one of the most creative dishes in Japanese cuisine, and it’s a widely available street food nonetheless. Most places in Tokyo serve ramen bowls for less than $10, with the more premium places ranging from $10-$15.

To serve:

Portion out the broth in a large saucepan to heat up – add ingredients or spices to reach desired flavor.

Boil a large pot of water to cook the noodles

Once boiling, place the noodles in a noodle sieve or metal strainer and then into the water. Cook for 1 minute and 45 seconds or until slightly more al dente than what you would prefer, as it will cook slightly more once served.

Cut the pork belly into slices.

Add the final broth to the bowl, gently place the noodles in the broth, and then the pork and rest of the toppings that you wish to serve. Some popular toppings are corn, menma (bamboo shoots), nori (dried seaweed), scallions, diced onions, eggs, and bean sprouts.

Ramen served with pork, scallions, corn, and a sous vide egg

Sous vide egg cut in half

I spent some time in Tokyo recently and had a chance to eat a LOT of ramen (almost daily) and even got to visit the Ramen Museum in Shin-Yokohama. If you ever visit Tokyo, I’d recommend taking a day trip to Shin-Yokohama and checking it out! They have permission to recreate and serve from the menu of 9 famous ramen shops around the country. They have half size bowls too, so you can try as much as your stomach can handle. Here are some photos:

The lunch crowd at the Ramen Museum

Komurasaki’s Tonkotsu Ramen – Half Size (Ramen Museum)

Komurasaki’s Miso Ramen – Half Size (Ramen Museum)

Shina Sobaya’s Soy Ramen – Half Size (Ramen Museum)

Shina Sobaya’s Salt Ramen – Half Size (Ramen Museum)

Idaten’s Chashu Ramen (Omori)

Itoyokado’s Tonkotsu Ramen (Itoyokado is a popular department store and this is what’s served in the cafeteria. Not bad for $6 USD!)

The inspiration for this noodle recipe is from Marc at NoRecipes, where he experimented with different proportions of kansui and water. However, I preferred the taste of noodles made with regular all-purpose flour as opposed to bread flour. Another deviation is from the recommendation of wrapping the pre-cooked noodles in plastic wrap for storage in the fridge overnight. The noodles became rather soggy when wrapped and kept in the cold. By leaving them to air dry for a couple of hours (until hard/brittle), they are more firm when cooked.